Asia

Sharif, the three-time former premier, said that there is a need for all political parties to sit together and form a government to pull Pakistan out of its difficulties.

The State Department said Thursday it did not support a ground offensive in Rafah, warning that, if not properly planned, such an operation in a city sheltering more than one million displaced Palestinians risked "disaster".

Japan's population of 126 million is rapidly aging and shrinking, and many short-staffed industries, including services, manufacturing and construction, rely heavily on foreign trainees and language students.

According to Vladivostok airport's flight timetable, the group is travelling on a Tupolev Tu-154 jet, a workhorse of Soviet aviation but has been involved in a number of crashes.

Counting of votes began following the conclusion of the polling and the results of individual polling stations started to pour in after the mandatory one hour restriction ended.

Five terrorists were also killed during various operations, according to a statement by the army.

Shortly before Blinken spoke, Netanyahu took direct aim at Hamas, calling it "delusional" and vowing that Israel would fight on to achieve "absolute victory".

Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with Israel’s military offensive in Gaza until achieving “absolute victory,” adding that the operation would last months, not years.

UNICEF says aid deliveries into Gaza are not meeting the vast needs.

The bombings targeted election offices in Balochistan province, one in Pashin at Asfandyar Khan's office and another in Qilla Saifullah at Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema Islam party office.

The International Monetary Fund did not give details of the Maldives' foreign debt but said there was a need for "urgent policy adjustment."

Hasan Mahmud is on his first official visit to India, at the invitation of S Jaishankar, after he was appointed Foreign Minister in the newly elected government in Bangladesh.

When Khan was appointed PM in 2018, he had strong public support. However, he later fell out with the military that had aided in his ascent, and in April 2022, a no-confidence vote forced him out of office.

Blinken is trying to advance the cease-fire talks while pushing for a larger postwar settlement. But the increasingly unpopular Netanyahu is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

Pakistan's caretaker government mulls internet shutdown for polling day amid concerns over law and order; courts uphold internet access until elections.

Pakistan's military has long looked to prevent the election of anyone who might try to influence policies that diverge from its entrenched interests.

Thailand was once notorious for its tough drug laws, and people found with cannabis on them could face up to 10 years in prison and a hefty fine.

Blinken is hoping to shore up support for a truce deal hashed out in Paris in January, but not yet signed off on by either Hamas or Israel.

JERUSALEM: Hamas has projected a united front since its October 7 attack sparked war with Israel, but experts say divisions within the Palestinian movement have weighed on efforts towards a ceasefire. In self-exile in Doha, the head of…

The ex-leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP) which won the most seats in the 2023 election, was only recently reinstated as an MP.